


Progress Underlaid by Shared Hopes

by thebratqueen



Series: Feelings Under Seriously Intense Observation and Negotiation [3]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Explicit Language, M/M, Science Boyfriends, Sexual Content, capital I issues, sciencebros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-20
Updated: 2012-06-19
Packaged: 2017-11-08 03:53:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/438853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebratqueen/pseuds/thebratqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the one hand: irritated Hulk. But on the other if you were a being made up of rage maybe irritated was you having a good day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to airawyn for untangling all the loose yarn of this fic and helping me turn it into a finished garment, and to ktnb for her talent of, amongst other things, pointing out that it helps to type ALL the words and not leave some out as a fun guessing game for the audience.
> 
> Also it's not a plot point but as far as this series goes certain events of the movie were NOT TRUE. Right? Right.

Tony had never been one to care overmuch about the spaces in homes that other people considered of value. He knew that most people _did_ value them. He wasn't unaware that things like kitchens and dens and family rooms and whatever the hell else were considered the main event, home-wise, and what people put their energy into when it came to turning buildings into places they felt were _theirs_.  
  
But Tony wasn't most people. The things that he cared about in any building he stayed in were, in order, 1) his workshop, in whatever lab or garage or both that he claimed for that purpose, because making stuff was pretty much his life; 2) his bedroom, because most, though not all, of the sex he had happened there and by god he wanted to be comfortable when he was having it; and 3) his bar, because that was were the alcohol lived.  
  
So those were the spaces that Tony devoted _his_ energy to, when he took over a new place. Everything else he didn't care about, so he paid people good money to deal with that hassle for him so long as they followed the directive to keep it clean and simple and not _annoying_ with tons of angles or knick-knacks or bright color schemes or _whatever_. Yes, keep the place _stark_ in decorating style, ha ha, he'd never heard that joke _ever before_ , now shut up and make it happen, okay?  
  
All of which was to say that when Tony flew past the Tower after he and the team, minus Thor, had done their thing to vanquish some wannabe bad guys who thought that a still smoldering Manhattan would be an easy takeover, he could not help but notice that his formerly sparse living room had a very large and distinctly green colored focal point which had not been there before.  
  
"Talk to me, JARVIS," Tony said. He pulled up so that he could hover a short distance away from his living room windows. Inside the helmet, the battle interface flicked away and was replaced by all the information the suit was pulling in using its various scanners.  
  
"It would appear that you have a visitor, sir," JARVIS said, with a tone that indicated that the AI was having far too much fun with the chance to make what could only be called a phenomenal understatement.  
  
"I can see that," Tony replied. He broadened the suit's search to pull in data from the rest of the tower. "Is he the only one?"  
  
"Correct," JARVIS said. "No other unknown life forms are in the building. I can detect no threats to you or the immediate area."  
  
"Huh." Tony watched as the HUD showed him a rendering of the Hulk who was, to all appearances, simply standing in Tony's living room. "Wonder why he decided to stop by?"  
  
"Perhaps he wished to join you for a cup of tea, sir."  
  
Tony would've replied except Steve's voice broke in over the comm. "Report. Who's got eyes on Banner?"

Natasha's voice came next. "I lost him after he took out the group on 45th."  
  
"I've got him," Tony said. "He's at my place."  
  
A voice which sounded suspiciously like Clint's muttered " _There's_ a surprise." at the same time Steve asked, "Everything okay?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Tony said, airily, as though there _wasn't_ an enormous green rage monster currently staring at him from inside of his apartment. Which was, of course, exactly what Steve had been asking about in his own Steve-like way. But confirming Hulk meant that the whole team would be headed over and that was just not going to be happening if Tony had any say in the matter. "You know Bruce: a shirt, some shoes, he'll be back in service."  
  
"You sure you don't need any help?" Steve asked.  
  
"Pretty sure I can handle getting one of my teammates dressed, Cap," Tony said. He wondered if the fact that he was lying to Steve meant he lacked the moral high ground to roll his eyes in response to Steve's question. Then Tony decided he didn't care and rolled his eyes anyway. "It's like getting them naked but in reverse, right? Besides, I'm grabbing a well-earned shower and trust me when I say none of you get to help me with that. Not even you, Barton, I don't care how much you flirt with me."  
  
"Stark, it's amazing the things you say to me when you have no idea if I've got an armor-busting arrow pointed at your ass," Clint replied.  
  
"If you're looking that close you can tell me how many fingers I'm holding up," Tony told him, though he didn't bother with actually trying to flip Clint off. Clint had to be bluffing, otherwise he would know Tony was looking right at the Hulk and they'd all be having a completely different conversation. "All right, I'm out. You kids have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."  
  
"What exactly does that rule out?" Natasha asked.  
  
"Sobriety?" Clint suggested.  
  
Tony turned off the comm before he could hear whatever else they came up with. They weren't talking to him anymore and that was what mattered. Between their need for some downtime and the usual post-event cleanup courtesy of SHIELD, Tony figured he had until at least the next day before Coulson or Fury forced someone to pull the short straw and drag him and Bruce into a debriefing. Plenty of time to spend with his big, green visitor.  
  
"JARVIS, hold my - " Tony pondered all of the potential calls and appointments that could try vying for his attention in the immediate future " - everything. Lock the place down. Even you go on mute once I get in there. I'm thinking this is a bad time for anything that might qualify as an interruption."  
  
"Indeed, sir," JARVIS said. "Though may I suggest leaving the balcony doors open? Should your guest wish to leave, he may prefer using the same method that he used to enter."  
  
Which explained the lack of broken glass all over the place. "Yeah, do that," Tony said.  
  
"Not that I imagine you of all people could possibly do something which might antagonize your guest into leaving, sir," JARVIS added.  
  
"What did I say about you going on mute?" Tony asked.  
  
"You said to do it _after_ you entered the apartment, sir."  
  
"Sure, _now_ you listen to me." Tony didn't wait for JARVIS to reply before he flew over to his landing pad. Hulk watched him from inside, which was enough to make Tony pause before the suit could make full contact. Even Tony could recognize that anything that might startle the big guy would probably be a bad idea. He turned on the external speakers. "Hey, jolly green. Just a heads-up that I'm taking the suit off. Don't panic or anything. I promise you I'm dressed underneath here."  
  
"Sir," JARVIS said, through the internal speakers only. "Are you certain removing the suit is a wise idea?"  
  
“ _All_ of my ideas are brilliant," Tony replied. He landed and walked the easy pace that allowed the suit to be taken off of him piece by piece. In the back of his mind Tony noted, with no small amount of satisfaction, how the process still flowed smoothly even after all the post-Chitauri repairs.  
  
But this he filed away for future study. Now his attention was entirely on the Hulk who was looking at Tony with - huh, Tony'd swear it was irritation. Which on the one hand: irritated Hulk. But on the other if you were a being made up of rage maybe irritated was you having a good day.  
  
"Don't get me wrong," Tony said as he made his way inside. "I've tried going commando under the suit. But the chafing is something you would _not_ believe so no real need to repeat that test, huh?"  
  
Hulk kept staring. He'd placed himself in the middle of the sunken living room, which meant Tony got to be closer to eye level than he usually would when standing near someone nine feet tall. Tony had no idea what the Hulk was staring _for_ , so he decided to keep acting like everything was normal.  
  
"Wanna drink?" Tony asked. He went over to the bar. The scotch was tempting, but Tony wanted a clear head for this particular meeting. He grabbed a cold soda instead. "Soda? Or - hey, Bruce takes decaf because of you. Do you want coffee? I could have JARVIS brew you up a pot of the best fully-leaded that I've got. Maybe twelve pots, considering your stomach size."  
  
"Tin Man," Hulk said, and holy _shit_ was that not Bruce's voice. Like at _all_. Sure Tony had watched the footage and heard the big guy give off a roar or ten during the heat of battle but hearing words in person was not the same. And this - this was more than increased lung capacity and overall body changes could account for. Tony was glad that JARVIS was recording the crap out of everything because Tony was going to analyze the hell out of the audio later.  
  
"Or Tony, if you want," Tony told him. He came out from behind the bar and stood at the top of the steps into the living room. Having fewer barriers between him and the Hulk felt like the right thing to do, even as he was certain JARVIS would insist this was another example of something that wasn't the _smart_ thing to do. Tony gave a shrug. "Whatever you want. Not like I can fault someone on a judicious use of nicknames. What about you? What do you want me to call you?"  
  
"Hulk," Hulk replied, looking at Tony like he wasn't certain if perhaps Tony wasn't quite as smart as he'd been advertised.  
  
"Hey, I'm just checking that you like that," Tony told him. "Maybe you've considered other options since the last time we met. How about nicknames? Anything you want me to avoid?"  
  
There was a long pause filled with enormous green eyes trying to, if Tony's guess was right, determine just how sincere Tony's question had been. Tony got the how-full-of-shit- _are_ -you look often enough to recognize it even when it was being leveled at him by gamma gone wild. Finally Hulk said, "Not Banner."  
  
And _wow_ was that a story to be delved into. Because Hulk said _Banner_ in the way that, if it was anyone _but_ Bruce, would've had Tony recommending that he move to _anywhere_ that Hulk couldn't get to, even if that meant figuring out how to grab dual citizenship over in Asgard.  
  
"No, I can see that," Tony said. He gestured towards Hulk's face. "I mean there's a little resemblance in the cheekbones but that's about it. You are definitely not Banner."  
  
Hulk's mouth curved in a half-smile. He nodded as though agreeing with Tony. "Hulk not Banner. Banner _puny_."  
  
"Well, yes. But let's be fair, so's _Thor_ in comparison to you. We need to grade on a curve here." Hulk's smile started to vanish, so Tony pressed on. "Don't _pout_ about it. You knew I liked Bruce before you met me. If we're gonna hang you'll need to cope with the fact that I'll defend him. Just as he has to deal with how I defend you."  
  
The how-full-of-it look was back.  
  
"You _do_ know that, don't you?" Tony asked. He took a step closer, trying to close some of the distance while keeping the eye-level height. "How much do you get from him? He says he just gets flashes of you, and even then it's not much. And can you stand up straight for a second? I wanna check you for damage."  
  
This earned Tony a snarl. "Hulk not puny!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Tony waved that off. "I know you're nigh-invulnerable or whatever but I'd rather not find out we assumed wrong on that count after you bled to death while I was talking to you. Humor my paranoia and let me look. And don't think I've forgotten my question about you and Bruce, by the way."  
  
Hulk pushed back off of his knuckles to show Tony his full height. Hulk actually heaved a sigh of long-suffering which Tony assumed was being aimed towards him until Hulk said, "Banner _talks_."  
  
And _that,_ that right there was the same whine/sigh used the world over to indicate someone being a complete and total buzzkill. Tony would know, he'd used it himself often enough. "Let me guess, he tells Hulk not to smash?"  
  
Hulk thudded back down onto his knuckles. He grumbled in something like agreement. "Now Tin Man's turn."  
  
"What? No way." Tony swigged some of his soda. "Smash all you like. If you break something I need I'll get it fixed, if you break one of the bad guys I'll cheer you on, and if you somehow find a way to break Fury's coat I will not only cheer but possibly figure out a way to make out with you as well."  
  
"Not smash." Hulk came forward and poked Tony's chest with a single finger. It was a surprisingly light touch, all things considered. "Tin Man let Hulk see."  
  
"See…" Tony started to ask, and then he got it. He put his soda back onto the bar then lifted both of his shirts high enough to show the arc reactor. "You mean this? It's fine. Shiny as ever. Tin Man is perfectly okay, or as okay as Tin Man ever is."  
  
Hulk leaned in close enough that Tony could feel the warm _whuff_ of each exhaled breath. Finally Hulk seemed satisfied that the arc reactor wasn't going to go dark anytime soon and he leaned back. "Tin Man should stay in suit."  
  
"Tin Man cannot stay in suit all the time because Tin Man is not as fond of going to the bathroom in suit as he might have previously indicated to several party-goers," Tony said. He pulled his shirts back down. "But I appreciate the sentiment, big guy."  
  
"Tin Man fight with Hulk," Hulk said.  
  
"Tin Man is not pissed at Hulk so not much need for fighting," Tony replied. Then he caught Hulk's expression which wasn't pissed so much as - worried? Could Hulk _do_ that? Where in the scale of zero to rage did worry fall, exactly? "Wait, back this up. What kind of fighting are we talking about?"  
  
Okay, now Hulk was _definitely_ looking at Tony like he was the stupidest person Hulk had met in his few years of life. Hulk pointed a large green hand towards the window. "TIN MAN FIGHT WITH HULK!"  
  
"Ow!" Tony rubbed his ears. "Standing right here, dial it down from 11, okay? I'm not _deaf._ I just wasn't following you. You mean this afternoon? With the bad guys?"  
  
Hulk's reply was a stare and a quirk of giant eyebrows that silently but obviously said _duh_.  
  
"Wow. Huh. Okay." Tony folded his arms as he tried to process this information. He thought back over the past few hours and yep, Hulk was right. At no time had the two of them fought near each other. Heck, Tony hadn't even been there when Bruce had turned. This was the first time Hulk had laid eyes on him since he'd shown up today, and the meeting had been Hulk's idea. Which meant… "So wait, this is you checking up on me? _Are_ you checking up on me? Because that's kind of cool. Also it means I've got like eleven thousand 'I told you so's that I could be saying to some key people, Bruce included if we're being frank here."  
  
"Tin Man fight with Hulk," Hulk said again, though this time not as ticked off as before.  
  
Tony didn't know if the repetition was because he hadn't really given Hulk an answer yet, or if it was because Hulk had decided that Tony needed to be told to do something multiple times in order to get him to actually do it."All right. Here's the thing: I'd say yes, except it can't happen. Not all the time. We've gotta fight where we're most needed, and sometimes that means you and I can't be side by side."  
  
Hulk gave a low, disapproving growl that rattled through the floor and the walls. Tony entertained a brief fantasy of what it would be like if he could get Hulk to growl like that in the middle of a board meeting, which would guarantee the meeting would end early plus would result in the board members making _hilarious_ faces as they scrambled for cover, but Tony knew that wasn't the thing he needed to focus on right now.  
  
"I know, not the answer you were looking for," Tony said. He held up a hand to ask for patience. "Hear me out. We can't always fight together but how about we promise to check in with each other when the dust clears? Hulk sees that Tin Man is okay, Tin Man sees that Hulk is okay, everybody's happy."  
  
"Hulk always okay," Hulk told him. He squared his shoulders as though somehow Tony had forgotten how strong and huge he was. "Hulk not hurt, Hulk _smash_."  
  
"Yes, but maybe Tin Man doesn't like seeing a few hundred tanks or alien jet skis shooting at Hulk without making sure Hulk's all right," Tony said. Then, because Tony both liked pressing his luck and also grabbing an advantage when he saw one, he added, "Maybe Tin Man would like it if Hulk checked in with him, even if normally Hulk might run off to get away from, say, puny army guys. Just for example."  
  
Hulk snorted with disgust. "Hulk not run. _Banner_ runs."  
  
Tony would've pointed out that previous footage would indicate that it was sure as hell Hulk's body crossing state lines in a single bound, but he suspected this was what Hulk meant about Bruce talking to him and getting in the way of his fun. This was also why Tony was glad that what passed for his own conscience didn't mind playing dirty pool. "I know he does, which is why I'm asking Hulk not to. Even if Banner says to run, I'd like you to stay here. Think you can do that for me, big guy? Because I like having both of you around, and if he goes you do too."  
  
"Tin Man likes Hulk?" Hulk asked. He looked… well _shit_ , like he wasn't entirely sure Tony wasn't lying to him. Like Tony, puny as he was, had the power to jerk the rug out from under him and actually _hurt_ him by saying he didn't care.  
  
Which was _all_ kinds of fucked up, not the least of which was how bad was someone's life when _Tony Stark_ was the guy you hoped wouldn't find a way to disappoint you. But that just made Tony feel pissed off on Hulk's behalf, because not only did he think Hulk deserved better than that but he realized he might be the _only_ person who thought Hulk deserved better than that. Which was even sadder still.  
  
"Tin Man very much likes Hulk," Tony told him. "Which is why Tin Man promises to check in with Hulk after fighting."  
  
Hulk nodded, as though he found Tony's words acceptable, or at the very least believable. "Hulk likes Tin Man. Hulk won't run."  
  
Tony felt a rush of relief that would've chalked up to knowing he now had an ally in keeping Bruce near, except, well, Hulk liked Tin Man. That was actually pretty cool too. "Good. Great. It's a deal. Let's shake on it."  
  
Hulk looked at Tony's outstretched hand in puzzlement, then slowly and carefully held out his own. A full on handshake was just not happening without Tony breaking something, so instead Tony held on to as much of Hulk's fingers - okay, _finger_ , he could manage _a_ finger - as he could grasp.  
  
It turned out not to be much of a worry, though. Because whatever happened when their hands made contact turned out to be whatever was needed to flip the off switch on Hulk being in charge. Green skin turned pink, green eyes turned brown, and everything shrunk down into the form of Bruce curled up on the floor.  
  
Which made Tony glad he'd opted for the shag carpet since hey: if Bruce was going to end up passed out on it often enough, he might as well be comfortable.  
  
"C'mon, stud," Tony said. He bent down to get an arm under Bruce's and lift him up. Bruce wasn't always completely wrecked after a transformation, but clearly this one had done a number on him. "Let's get you to bed. Though if you wanted to sleep with me again you could've just said so. I don't need the pretense."  
  
"Won't be much fun right now," Bruce mumbled. He was nearly asleep already, though he was able to follow as Tony half carried, half guided him to the bedroom.  
  
"Yeah but you're cute so I can at least enjoy the view," Tony told him.  
  
Bruce's reply was a soft chuckle, which Tony decided to take as a win.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't unusual for Bruce to wake up not knowing where he was. What _was_ unusual was for Bruce to be comfortable when it happened. Usually the Other Guy checked out in places _he_ felt comfortable. Which meant that Bruce's best case scenario tended to be finding himself on a pile of leaves in a country where _maybe_ he spoke enough of the language to get past the initial conversation-starter of "Do you know where I am?" to exciting topics like "What day is it?" and "Where can I find some pants?"  
  
Bruce had a routine for these occasions. It amounted to a mental checklist which could be titled "How fucked am I?" Bruce ran through it as he took in his current situation. Indoors: check. Mattress: check. _Clean_ mattress: check. Sheets, pillows, and blankets: check. Sound of guns or other weapons being readied to fire: no check. Blood, either his or someone else's: no check. Disturbing feeling in his stomach which indicated he did _not_ want to know what the Other Guy had decided to consider food while he was busy smashing up the landscape: no check.  
  
Any sense of familiarity: check. Which was confirmed when Bruce opened his eyes and saw that he was in Tony's bedroom. Tony himself was nowhere to be seen, but the other side of the bed had the rumpled appearance of someone having slept there.   
  
Which left one last thing. Bruce lifted the blankets covering him and looked down.  
  
"Same underwear as yesterday." Bruce let go of the blankets as he marveled at his luck. "And it's not even my birthday."  
  
"Good morning, Dr. Banner," JARVIS said. The AI spoke softly, either to not startle Bruce or because it had been programmed to be quieter during the hours when Tony was more likely to be nursing a hangover. "I hope I am not disturbing you?"  
  
"No, it's fine." Bruce rubbed the last bits of sleep out of his eyes. "In fact it's useful. Morning. That narrows things down."  
  
"It is the day after your last transformation," JARVIS informed him. The bedroom windows displayed the current date, time, and weather forecast. "You've been asleep for approximately sixteen hours, forty-two minutes."  
  
Bruce suspected that JARVIS knew exactly how long he'd been asleep down to the second, but he appreciated the less-creepy report via approximation. "Thanks, that's very helpful. Do you know where Tony is?"  
  
"Mr. Stark is in the living room, Dr. Banner," JARVIS said. "He asked me to inform you that there is breakfast available whenever you are ready."  
  
"Thanks." Bruce contemplated if he felt awake enough to try standing.  
  
"He also instructed me to give you the following message," JARVIS said. "Quote: don't worry about your virtue, sexy. Tempting as you were, I kept my hands to myself last night. Mostly. Unquote."  
  
Bruce found himself thinking fondly of days when he would wake up in the middle of a forest with no one around for miles. "He actually made you say that?"  
  
"Yes, Dr. Banner."  
  
"I am _so_ sorry."  
  
"We all have our burdens to bear, Dr. Banner."  
  
"Feel free to pretend that the last few minutes of conversation didn't happen if it eases yours," Bruce told him. He swung his feet down to the floor and took in his surroundings. "I don't suppose there's anything around here I can use to get dressed?"  
  
"Mr. Stark said that you are welcome to borrow anything of his," JARVIS said. The light inside of the room Tony whimsically referred to as a closet turned on. "He also asked that you not make any attempt to guess what individual articles of clothing may cost as you are encouraged to make use of any of them regardless of their price."  
  
Bruce looked up towards the ceiling, as though that was where JARVIS could see him. "That doesn't sound like Tony."  
  
"The actual wording may have included terms such as 'I never buy cheap shit' and 'get over it already, Banner,'" JARVIS admitted. "I took the liberty of paraphrasing given that Mr. Stark did not request that I repeat these words exactly."  
  
"I appreciate the effort," Bruce said. He stood up, made a brief detour to the bathroom, then focused on clothes. The walls of the closet were lined with suits and shirts and leather shoes that Bruce felt like he was dirtying simply by breathing near them. He didn't even bother touching any to see if they fit. A search for more casual clothes resulted in shelves filled with t-shirts. After some digging Bruce was able to find where Tony kept the dark, long-sleeved shirts that he layered under his short sleeved band shirts to help hide the arc reactor. Bruce pulled on one of those and a pair of sweats and decided it was more than enough to keep some dignity when he went back to his apartment.  
  
Breakfast first, however. Bruce made his way to the living room. Tony was behind the bar, which had been turned into a buffet with bagels and fruit and a carafe of what looked like hot water for tea. Tony pushed the latter towards Bruce as he came near.  
  
"So FYI," Tony said, without preamble, "Pepper and I were still kind of a thing when you and I got naked together."  
  
Bruce hadn't known that. He'd barely met Pepper beyond a brief introduction before he and Tony spent countless hours inside of Tony's labs. He wondered if it was significant that Tony hadn't mentioned it at the time. Still, ignorance was no excuse with the law and Bruce didn't consider it an excuse here. "Well thank you _very_ much for making me an asshole by proxy. I enjoy giving people extra reasons to hate me."  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it." Tony pulled a grape off of its stem and popped it into his mouth. "She's mostly pissed at me. Actually pretty sure she's _entirely_ pissed at me. You're not really on her radar."  
  
"She _should_ be pissed at you," Bruce said. He poured hot water into a mug so he could have his tea. "But I doubt she's leaving me out of it."  
  
"She really is," Tony said. He tapped his finger on the interface in the glass surface of the bar. A voice came out over the speakers.  
  
"- have the _guts_ to come to California and tell me to my _face_ , Tony. Which makes me feel just - wait, did you have me on _hold_?"  
  
"Pepper, honey." Tony folded his arms on the bar and tried to look contrite. Bruce looked around for a video feed but found nothing. He supposed Tony wanted the look to translate to his voice. "What if I gave you a blank check?"  
  
"Oh I _have_ one, Tony, _believe_ me," Pepper said. "I have all the rights I need to do whatever and _whoever_ I want after this and you don't get to say a _word_."  
  
"No, I mean literally a blank check with my signature on it." Tony helped himself to another grape. "You could buy yourself something nice. France, maybe."  
  
"Seriously?"  
  
"Have you seen the European economy lately?" Tony asked. "I think you can get Germany for like five bucks but I know you don't like their beer so I figured why bother?"  
  
"I _love_ German beer, Tony."  
  
Tony grimaced. "I was close, Pep. You have to give me credit for close."  
  
"I don't have to give you credit for _jack_ ," Pepper told him. "You owe me. You _so_ owe me. I lost _bets_ over this. I said we'd make it past two years. I'm going to have to tell my mother she was _right_. Do you think I'll be hearing the end of that anytime soon?"  
  
"Will _I_?" Tony asked.  
  
"I'm going to have sex," Pepper replied. "Lots of it. Some right on this desk. Some with _women._ You will never see a single image or hear the tiniest detail about it."  
  
"Is that my only punishment?" Tony asked. "Because my imagination is pretty - "  
  
"You _so_ owe me," Pepper said, then hung up.  
  
Silence filled the room. Tony drummed his fingers on the bar, then looked at Bruce. "So that's like, what? Flowers? Is that a flowers thing?"  
  
"You're asking _me_?" Bruce replied.  
  
"Clearly _I_ don't know," Tony said. He pulled a bagel out of the basket, split it in two, and began spreading cream cheese on both halves. "If I did I would've done it already."  
  
"I think whatever you do you need to figure it out on your own," Bruce said. He stared down into his mug. "If you don't want to break up with her - "  
  
"No."  
  
Bruce looked up at Tony. "No?"  
  
"That's not my goal." Tony put one of the bagel halves on a plate and pushed it towards Bruce. "Her not being pissed at me is my goal."  
  
"Oh." Bruce had absolutely no idea what to make of that. He'd been expecting Tony to say that his relationship was with Pepper, and that what he and Bruce had done was simply part of the whole playboy aspect of his life outside of the suit. It wouldn't have been great to hear, but at least it would've made sense. Bruce accepted the bagel because at least food he could understand. "Uh, I think that's still you. Figuring out how to make it up to her, I mean."  
  
Tony studied Bruce's face. "Is this a dealbreaker?"  
  
Bruce realized Tony must've meant the demonstration of just how casual and fleeting sex with Tony Stark could be. Bruce knew it was the sort of thing people could be disappointed by. But it had been years since Bruce had allowed himself to think about having pleasant things in his life at all, let alone long-term. If anything he felt a little relieved at knowing that there would be a definite end to things. Tony would find somebody hotter and better than Bruce, and Bruce would go back to traveling on his own. There would be no pressure of wondering how things would turn out, merely when. "No, it's fine."  
  
"Okay, good." Tony stepped back from the bar and gestured to indicate all of Bruce. "Because this rumpled look is really working for me."  
  
"Yeah, I picked sweats and a T for the sexiness factor." Bruce rolled his eyes before taking a bite of his bagel.  
  
Tony leaned over the bar to look at Bruce. "You have _got_ to stop underselling yourself, Banner. You look _really_ tempting right now and I'm not just saying that because you've got my name on your ass."  
  
Bruce paused mid-bite. He twisted around in his seat to see the back of his borrowed sweats. Sure enough, he could see the white text of the Stark Industries logo against the black fabric. He swallowed and said, "I actually tried to avoid that."  
  
"And yet it happened anyway," Tony said. "Clearly it's fate to have me on your ass. Obviously a precursor to having me _in_ your ass, which as I recall we have not tried yet. We should fix that. After you carbo-load, of course."  
  
"How are you this awake in the morning?" Bruce asked. "I'm still processing making sure the hot water goes into my cup, and you're choreographing our next sex positions."  
  
"Helps that I never _stopped_ choreographing our next sex positions." Tony's mouth curved into a grin. "Kinda been imagining those since I met you."  
  
"Maybe during battle you should pause that long enough to figure out plans that don't get you killed?" Bruce suggested. Not that he thought Tony was being serious.   
  
"Please, that's what I have JARVIS for." Tony waved a dismissive hand. "Though, speaking of battles, I had an interesting conversation with Junior yesterday."  
  
Bruce used a napkin to wipe a stray bit of cream cheese off of his thumb. He tried to figure out who on their team or in SHIELD would qualify for the nickname of Junior. "You mean Cap?"  
  
Tony shook his head. "I mean your greener half."  
  
"My…" there were so many things wrong with what Tony had just said that Bruce didn't even know where to begin. "You _what_?"  
  
"Had a conversation with - "  
  
"The guy best known for saying a noun and a verb?" Bruce asked, because Tony _had_ to be pulling his leg with this one.   
  
"Hey, throw in 9/11 and he could try running for President." Tony shrugged it off. "I'm not saying he could've given a chemistry lecture on your behalf or anything, but we did talk."  
  
"That's not possible," Bruce said, even as he frantically searched his memories for any sign of what Tony was talking about. There'd been a fight yesterday. The Other Guy had come out. Bruce woke up in Tony's bed. That was _it_.   
  
"Apparently he disagrees with you." Tony came out from behind the bar and gestured towards the sunken living room. "It happened right here. He was waiting for me when I got back. He wanted to talk, I offered him coffee - "  
  
"You _offered him coffee?_ " Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to think calming thoughts. "What, was the crack dealer you keep on speed dial just not answering his phone?"  
  
"Okay, first of all - crack? Me? Seriously?" Tony looked offended by the mere suggestion. "I mean _coke_ sure. But _crack_?"  
  
"Because _that's_ the point in this conversation," Bruce said. He turned around on his bar stool so he could face Tony. "Your drugs of choice are the issue here."  
  
"Might as well say I've used _meth_ for God's sake," Tony said, as though Bruce hadn't spoken. "I mean have you _met_ me? Second anybody who doesn't answer when _I_ call doesn't get to stay on my speed dial. That's just common sense."  
  
"You're telling me you had a conversation with - with the Other Guy," Bruce stumbled over calling him Hulk. "I don't think you get to make any claims about having common sense."  
  
"What? Do you want me to lie about it?" Tony asked. He came closer to Bruce again. "It was an actual conversation. Multiple nouns and verbs. He even busted out with the subjunctive."  
  
Bruce took a few breaths. He forced himself to concentrate only on the sound of the air going in and out of his lungs. Finally he asked, "Who else was there?"  
  
"Just me." Tony sat on the bar stool next to Bruce. "Guess I'm the only one he wanted to talk to. Apparently he likes me. Also? He likes me _way_ more than he likes you. Though I can't let that flatter my ego too much. I got the impression he likes the complete unabridged works of Proust more than he likes you."  
  
"The feeling's mutual," Bruce muttered.   
  
Something flickered in Tony's eyes. "He's not a bad guy."  
  
"No, just an uncontrollable monster," Bruce said. He laughed at the absurdity of it all. "He's just _swell_."  
  
"He saved your life," Tony pointed out. "Also mine."  
  
"Your theory is nice but he doesn't get credit for being created out of something that should've killed me," Bruce said. "At best he's an accident, just like the gamma."  
  
"I wasn't only thinking of the gamma," Tony said.   
  
Bruce swallowed, tasting the ghostly flavor of metal. "He doesn't get credit for that either."  
  
"Sorry, so are you alive now because of someone _other_ than him?" Tony asked. "Because that's who I'd like to give the credit to."  
  
"That's not saving my life, that's self-preservation!" Bruce couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and walked far enough away that he could pace. "You think for one second he'd stop me eating a bullet if we didn't share a body? You said it yourself - he _hates_ me."  
  
"I don't care about his motivations," Tony said. "I care about the results. I got to meet you because of him."  
  
Bruce had to laugh again. It was so perfectly Tony to sum everything up by what _he'd_ gotten out of it. "Well I'm sure that's worth all the people he's killed."  
  
"Are we doing that?" Tony asked. "Because I'll stack my body count up against his any day, and I feel pretty sure I'll win even if we take the Merchant of Death stuff out of it. Because, unlike him, when I killed people it was on _purpose_."   
  
Bruce frowned. He tried to think of everything he knew about Tony. "Who - "  
  
"Some terrorists made a really bad first impression on me," Tony said. He looked away from Bruce and grabbed his abandoned coffee cup to take a swallow of what had to be an ice cold beverage by now. "And on folks who lived in the same town as a friend of mine. And that's not even getting into people who've tried attacking me in the suit which, you may have noticed, isn't fitted with little flags that say 'Bang!' when I fire them."  
  
"That's different," Bruce said. "You were protecting yourself and people you care about."  
  
"Which is okay for me but not the Other Guy?" Tony asked. He quirked his eyebrows up at Bruce. "How's that fair again?"  
  
Bruce folded his arms tightly against his chest. "You're not a monster."  
  
"There's a line of people that goes at _least_ halfway around the planet who would disagree with you," Tony said.   
  
"Well they're wrong."  
  
"So are you." Tony swiped his hand in the air as though that could put an end to Bruce's opinion. "Look, I don't know what the deal is with the both of you but I don't care. Either he's his own person, in which case I've got no problem with him, or he's part of you, in which case I was on board team him as soon as I heard 'part of you.' You can't convince me otherwise."  
  
"You've been lucky," Bruce said. "He's saved your life, I get that, and _believe_ me I'm grateful. But he _is_ a monster, Tony. Let's say you're right. Let's say he doesn't kill people on purpose - "  
  
"Which he _doesn't_."  
  
" - then the _best case scenario_ is that he caused all of those deaths by accident," Bruce said. "Our pie in the sky hope is that he doesn't know his own strength? How is that better? All that means is that one day you'll let your guard down around him, he'll get you without the suit, and he'll _accidentally_ snap you like a twig."  
  
Tony pursed his lips and looked studiously at everything that wasn't Bruce.  
  
Bruce stared. "What?"  
  
Tony tried giving him a look that was probably supposed to be the picture of innocence, if not for how it was Tony Stark attempting it. "I may have kinda not been wearing the suit yester - "  
  
"Oh my _God_ you are not this suicidal!" Bruce pressed his fingers against his temples and tried to will down the headache that was threatening to overtake him. "You can't help yourself, can you? Loki didn't need an army to destroy the planet, he just needed to give you a big shiny button and tell you not to press it."  
  
"That is _not_ \- " Tony started to say, then stopped himself. "Never mind. What I'm trying to say is that I wasn't in any danger."  
  
"You can say you weren't in danger because nothing happened," Bruce told him. " _That_ time."  
  
"Or the time before that, or - "  
  
"All that means is that the odds of it happening are getting greater with every encounter."  
  
"I don't think you want to argue the math with me on that, Dr. Banner," Tony said, "because you will _so_ lose."  
  
"It's not math, it's knowing what he's like," Bruce said. "Which I _do_ know better than you because I know damn well he destroys everything he touches. It's all he does. It's all he _can_ do. On a good day we can aim him at the right targets but that doesn't mean you can trust him!"  
  
"Well I do!" Tony snapped.   
  
"For God's sake, _why?"_  
  
 _"_ Because I'm not worried about either one of _you_ hurting _me_!"   
  
There was quiet. Tony turned away to pour himself a fresh cup of coffee. Bruce stared at Tony's back, hearing his words repeat over and over in his mind. He remembered the night they slept together, and that strange, world-tilting moment when he'd realized that Tony truly, honestly, craved Bruce's touch.   
  
"I uh," Bruce cleared his throat, "I can't help but feel there was some significant pronoun usage there."  
  
"Says the guy who apparently got his _doctorate_ in significant pronoun usage," Tony replied.   
  
"Nuclear physics, actually," Bruce said. He gave a self-deprecating shrug, even though Tony couldn't see that. "Boring, I know."  
  
"I don't think so."   
  
"Yeah but you're weird," Bruce replied, and smiled when he saw that he'd gotten Tony to laugh.   
  
"That's actually a first for me." Tony raised his coffee mug to Bruce in a salute. "I'll add it to the list. Wear it with pride."  
  
Bruce wanted to say that he hoped it might combat all the people who'd called Tony a monster. Bruce knew from monsters and Tony was nowhere near having earned that label. But he also knew Tony wouldn't hear him if he said that right now. Instead what he found himself saying was, "I've learned to cope. That's all I can do. It's all he'll _let_ me do. I go through each day and count it as a win if maybe I managed to do some good in it. Because that's all I get. I don't stability. I don't get to have the wife and kids that I was counting on before he showed up. I don't get a home - "  
  
"Uh, you live _here_ ," Tony said, frowning at Bruce. "I gave you your own apartment and everything."  
  
" - or friends - "  
  
"Did I suddenly turn invisible?" Tony asked. "Because I think I'd notice if that happened."  
  
"- because he always destroys them eventually," Bruce finished. "I accept that. But that doesn't mean I'm going to like him for being the one who did that to me."  
  
Tony moved his coffee cup in small circles, swirling the drink inside. "You know, it's not _just_ that I push the button because people told me not to. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it is. I frequently enjoy doing things for the sheer fact of knowing that it will piss people off. It's part of my rakish charm, or so I'm told." He moved his cup aside and looked at Bruce. "But sometimes it's because I don't just see the button. _Other_ people see the button. _Stupid_ people see the button. I see the button and the wires and the machine and the _process_ and how it connects to everything and I know if I hit it at just the right time and just the right way it will do _exactly_ what I need it to and the results will be absofuckinglutely _amazing_. And I can either sit there and explain to people who don't get it, who will _never_ get it, or I can go ahead and do my thing and they can let their jaws drop at the results."  
  
"What about when you can't hit it exactly how you want it to?" Bruce asked.  
  
Tony shrugged. "Then it blows up in my face. So what? Somebody's gotta take the gamble."  
  
"Maybe I don't want you gambling with your face," Bruce said. "Or any other part of you. Maybe I like knowing you're in one piece."  
  
Tony smirked.   
  
"What?"   
  
"'Hulk likes Tin Man,'" Tony said, and Bruce realized he was quoting the Other Guy. "Which means, yes, he and Cap could have a great time bonding over a _Wizard of Oz_ marathon. But also that you're saying the same thing to me that he did. He wants me in one piece. You want me in one piece. Apparently you've got more in common than your cheekbones."  
  
"Why are you so worried about hurting me?" Bruce asked. It was an attempt to change the topic, but he also wanted to know.  
  
Tony shook his head. "No way. We're talking about your issues right now, Banner, not mine."  
  
"I don't recall actually agreeing to talk about my issues," Bruce said.   
  
"Why do you think you don't have a home?" Tony asked. He mimicked the casual tone Bruce had attempted with his own question, but his expression was serious. "What exactly do you think that apartment is?"  
  
Bruce thought about lying then realized there was no point to it. "A place to stay until it gets broken."  
  
"Fine, then I'll give you another one." Anticipating Bruce's response, Tony immediately added, "And one after that and another after that. Do you understand just how many million-dollar apartments I could give you before it started even making a fraction of a dent in my bank accounts?"  
  
"I think you have better things to spend your money on," Bruce told him.  
  
"I own yachts, _plural_ , that I have never even seen," Tony said. " _Believe_ me when I say I do not have better things to spend my money on. Certainly not better than spending it on you."  
  
"Well that's _really_ not true," Bruce said.   
  
"According to you." Tony stood in front of him again, very much in Bruce's personal space. "It's my money. I get to judge. But it's not about the money, is it? It's about you thinking you don't have a home because you think you don't _deserve_ one."  
  
"Being on the run from the army was kind of a factor there as well," Bruce said. "You know, a _tiny_ bit."  
  
"SHIELD's got the army off your case. So what's the excuse now?" Tony didn't wait for Bruce to answer before continuing. "You know what he said about you? You run. _He_ doesn't, _you_ do."  
  
" _He_ doesn't have to deal with the fallout of his destruction," Bruce shot back. "So how very nice for him to want to hang around in places where _I_ would be the one suffering the consequences."  
  
"That wouldn't happen here," Tony said. He reached to grasp Bruce by the shoulders but then held himself back. "Whatever SHIELD can't handle I will. You - both of you - are worth it. You can have a home. You can have a life. Just, you know… let me."  
  
It was good that Tony wasn't touching him. Because right now Bruce wanted to grab Tony and kiss him so hard that neither one of them could breathe. He wanted to cling to Tony and ask if he had any idea what he was offering Bruce. If he understood that _this_ was Candyland, far more than just the R &D floors could give him. The support, the friendship, the intimacy that had nothing to do with physical contact though, yes, the contact was intoxicating as well.   
  
If Tony had been touching him Bruce wouldn't have been able to resist it. He would've kissed Tony, and let himself believe in anything Tony told him.   
  
But Tony wasn't touching him. Which was good. Because Bruce needed to stay firmly grounded in reality.   
  
"I can't," Bruce said. His voice sounded rough, even to him. "I'm sorry."  
  
He left Tony's apartment before the look on Tony's face could convince him to change his mind.  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Night had fallen over Manhattan. Tony sat - sprawled, really - in one of the sleek, expensive, white chairs made by some Italian designer whose name Tony had either never learned or couldn't be bothered to remember. He looked out over the view of the city from his equally sleek and expensive living room, and thought to himself that he was not _nearly_ drunk enough yet.  
  
Luckily he had enough practice at this sort of thing that he'd kept a bottle of Scotch handy. Having to _stand_ to give himself a refill was a waste of valuable drinking time.   
  
Tony took another swallow of the twenty one year old amber liquid. It had taken a few glasses - damned build up of tolerance - but he was finally starting to feel a warm and mellow buzz. Which was a start. What Tony wanted was to not be able to _think_ , but he'd need to drink more in order for that to happen.   
  
At least with a buzz it damped down on some of his emotions. They were still there, just without their sharp edges. More like an all-over fog of _this day sucked_ which Tony felt couldn't be disputed by anybody.   
  
He'd gotten out of the SHIELD debrief pretty quickly. ("Fuck you, how's that for my report on yesterday?") Normally his mouth would've guaranteed that Fury kept him around longer, if for no other reason than to piss Tony off. But word had apparently gotten back to, well, _everyone_ about his break-up with Pepper (Tony suspected a Pepper to Coulson vector on that gossip chain) and thus even _Steve_ of all people gave Tony sympathy eyes and suggested he could handle the debrief if Tony needed to go home and rest or something.   
  
Which also went to show that if Pepper _had_ been the one to pass the word along, she'd generously left off the part where the breakup had been entirely Tony's fault. Because there was _no way_ Captain freaking America would've found out about that and given Tony anything but a black eye in the name of chivalry, and he sure as hell wouldn't have been _nice_ about Tony's extra surly behavior.   
  
Though that probably wasn't generosity on Pepper's part so much as Pepper's entirely correct belief that if anybody got to give Tony a black eye on her behalf it would be her.   
  
Tony had promised he would be good. He'd meant it too. But promises like that always came with a countdown to the moment Tony would fuck it up. Pepper had actually thought it would take Tony two whole years before that happened.  Pepper was always the more optimistic of the both of them.   
  
He wasn't going to miss the sex. Well, he _was_ but Pepper had been more than that so the sex wasn't what he was going to miss _most_. What mattered was the friendship. It was a cheap breakup line to everyone else in the world but for Tony, who could count his actual friends on one hand with plenty of fingers left over, it was everything. Pepper actually _liked_ him, and liked him for reasons that had nothing to do with his money _or_ his dick, which was one of many reasons why she was a rare and wonderful person who Tony hadn't ever deserved in the first place.   
  
He'd make it up to her. He'd already sent an entire greenhouse's worth of flowers to her office. Not that he thought that would fix everything, but he knew he had to start making an effort. He'd keep at it with gifts and charm until she finally took pity on him and let them go back to the way they used to be. She'd forgive him. She always did. Tony wasn't worried about it.   
  
Bruce, on the other hand….  
  
It wasn't a surprise. It shouldn't have been a surprise. Tony knew himself _very_ well, thank you, and understood how there were a lot of reasons why somebody would consider a life of running and poverty preferable to spending another second in Tony's self-centered and obnoxious company. But that didn't mean that Tony had been hoping for reality to provide him with an _actual example_ of someone who felt that way. He sure as hell hadn't hoped for that person to be Bruce.   
  
God, it had been so nice to meet somebody he could actually _talk_ to. Someone who could not only match him in intelligence but, on some topics, _surpass_ him. For the first time in _years_ Tony had felt the excitement of finding someone who actually _challenged_ his brain. In the good way. In the _best_ way, where Tony felt alive in ways that he hadn't since he started working on the Mark II.   
  
And Bruce was a _good guy_. Not only smart but funny and a little snarky and nice in a way that was genuine but not cloying like Steve had a tendency to be.   
  
Also hot. Tony wasn't going to lie on that end. But he'd noticed brains and personality first, which was unusual for Tony.   
  
Bruce had gotten the shit end of the stick as far as life went and Tony had thought, maybe, since life had clearly given _him_ far more things than he deserved, that maybe he could share what he had with Bruce and even things out a little.   
  
And Bruce had turned it down.   
  
Tony refilled his glass. "JARVIS, we need to get the kids out here. I'm thinking Malibu won't be home base for a while."  
  
"I took the liberty of making preparations for their transport after your phone call with Ms. Potts, sir," JARVIS said. "I'll have them brought to New York immediately."  
  
"Good man," Tony said. And there it was in a nutshell, really. Just like he'd told General Ross, ironically enough. Hardware always _was_ much more reliable. Especially when it was Tony's tech.  
  
The doors to Tony's private elevator opened. Tony frowned. Other than a protocol override there was exactly one person who could come up to Tony's place without JARVIS announcing who it was and said person had expressed his intention to leave just that morning.  
  
Tony turned around in his chair. Bruce stood at the top of the stairs and looked back at him.   
  
"Um," Tony said. It was the best he could manage.  
  
Luckily Bruce had no problem taking the lead on the conversation.   
  
"We both know SHIELD has cages other than what they built in the helicarrier," Bruce said. "To say nothing of what the army's cooked up. I don't care what SHIELD says, Ross isn't going to stand down just because they told him to."  
  
"Probably the opposite," Tony agreed.  
  
Bruce gave a small nod of acknowledgment. "Thing is, no matter what either of them has come up with, I never helped. And I'm guessing neither did you, other than whatever Stark Industries retrofitted for them."  
  
"Not me, not personally," Tony confirmed. He'd been a little too busy dying when all that had gone on.   
  
Bruce walked over to the windows and flicked his fingers over a Stark tablet he’d brought with him. Equations and schematics appeared all over the windows and _God_ Bruce's calculations were so beautiful, so _elegant_. Tony stood up, his glass forgotten, and got a closer look at what Bruce was showing him.  
  
It was a shield. Well, a force-field. What Bruce had been working on - where his drawings and equations trailed off - was finding the most efficient way to strengthen the field using the least amount of energy, particularly in relation to an ever-increasing attack.  
  
Tony looked at Bruce.   
  
"I've been working on this way to protect people from him," Bruce said. He tapped the glass, bringing up more schematics and adding calculations about the Hulk's strength. "I thought maybe if I could create the right kind of barrier it could help prevent people getting killed when they go after him, or any other gamma freaks."   
  
"You're not thinking that any more?" Tony asked.   
  
Bruce hesitated, then brought up another, rougher schematic. A glance at the timestamp showed that this was something Bruce had worked on that day.   
  
"I thought… what if I turned it around?" Bruce indicated how the force field could be inverted, turned into something that enclosed something rather than repelling it. "Maybe the answer isn't shielding them from him so much as - "  
  
"Shielding him from them?"  
  
"Keeping him contained when he has to be," Bruce finished. He sighed. "Problem is, being pissed off only makes him stronger. Putting him in a cage won't exactly get him singing a happy tune."  
  
Tony snapped his fingers to bring up a new layer over Bruce's equations. A few taps added some saved calculations of his own, slotting them in to places where Bruce hadn't gotten the result he was looking for. "I've been working on these pulse bolts that pick up kinetic energy."  
  
"So the further they go, the harder they hit," Bruce said. He put his glasses on to study what Tony was showing him. "Clever."  
  
"I'm thinking maybe we combine that concept with your field." Tony sketched out a rough approximation of how such a device could work. "Forget relying on the outside energy source so much and make _him_ the thing that powers it. At least after you've gotten him in there."  
  
"The more he hits it, the stronger it gets." Bruce took his glasses off and tapped them against his lips thoughtfully. "We'd have to figure out some way to keep it from overheating. I don't know what his limits are but all evidence points to him being able to turn any currently existing materials into a puddle of goo if he set his mind to it."  
  
"Well I'm nothing if not a guy who's good at creating new materials," Tony said.   
  
"I know." Bruce set his glasses and tablet aside. He twisted his hands together in that way he did when, Tony knew, he was trying to make himself smaller and prevent himself from touching anything. "I thought - I thought maybe instead of all those million dollar apartments you could help me build one of these?"  
  
Tony thought about asking "why?" but instead went with, "Where?"  
  
"Here?" Bruce shrugged and ducked his head and _Christ_ that was the same look, the _exact same look_ Tony had gotten yesterday. Only then the question had been an incredulous _Tin Man likes Hulk?_  
  
Tony wanted to beat the _shit_ out of whoever it was that had put that look - that _fear_ that the answer was going to be no - on either of their faces.   
  
"Yes," Tony said, because he didn't want Bruce hanging on the unknown of his response. "Yes. Absolutely. Anywhere."  
  
Bruce shook his head. "No. Here. Because when the time comes that he needs to be locked up… I want you holding the key. Not the army. Not SHIELD. You. And the next time you see him - since apparently he listens to you - maybe you can explain to him that this isn't about punishment. It's about keeping him safe. It's about having a place with somebody we trust so that he - _I_ don't have to run."  
  
Tony looked at Bruce. Bruce looked back.  
  
"Okay were you expecting an answer there _other_ than me kissing you?" Tony asked. "Because if not I've got nothing."  
  
"No, no, that's fine. I actually wanted to kiss you this morning and _really_ regretted not doing it when I got back to my place, which led to, well - " Bruce gestured towards the displays on the windows. "All of this."  
  
"So it was productive regret time, is what you're saying."  
  
"Don't take it as evidence that you should keep not kissing me."  
  
Tony grinned. He snaked a hand out to tangle in Bruce's hair and used the hold to pull him close. A flick of his tongue got Bruce's lips to open up for him and Tony kissed him, long, and wet, and slow, until Bruce stopped trying to shrink into himself and instead let himself run his hands along Tony's chest.   
  
Bruce made soft, needy sounds, and Tony answered each one by tightening his grip in Bruce's hair and kissing him harder. He wanted Bruce to know that the answer was yes. Whatever he needed, whatever he wanted. Tony could give it to him, _would_ give it to him. Yes, yes, always yes.  
  
Tony had one hand free which he used to start undoing the buttons of the light blue shirt Bruce had changed into after breakfast. "Remember what we said about next time?"  
  
"That you were going to fuck me?" Bruce replied and _wow_ Tony had not realized that there was a single sentence which could make his entire body flash with hot, raw need but apparently there was and Bruce had stumbled _right_ on it.   
  
"Yes," Tony said, because that needed to be very clear. "But also that you would get naked faster. Luckily these go together pretty well."  
  
Bruce gave one of his shy smiles, the one with the head duck and even a hint of a blush. Tony had to kiss him again because _come on_. He wasn't made of stone. Okay part of his body sure _felt_ like it at the moment but point being that willpower of any kind seemed incredibly superfluous right now.   
  
The kissing was useful, because it kept Bruce in range for Tony to continue unbuttoning his shirt. This also allowed Tony to angle the both of them towards the wonderfully comfortable shag carpet. Sure they could try for a bed but the bedroom currently felt about a thousand miles away. Also Tony suspected Bruce had had very few times, if any, of someone wanting him so badly they needed to fuck him right there on the floor. Which was a crime and clearly something that Tony needed to fix  
  
The blue shirt went away, revealing an undershirt beneath it. " _Layers_ , Bruce. You're killing me here."   
  
"I'm sorry, which one of us wears two shirts _under_ a dress shirt, jacket, and a tie?"   
  
"I keep telling you getting me naked is never a problem." Tony let go of Bruce long enough to yank both of his shirts up and off over his head. He tossed them aside and, as long as he was taking care of these details, also did the snap of his fingers and flick of his hand that automatically made the windows impossible to see through from the outside. He turned back aground to find Bruce staring at him, looking as though he couldn't believe his luck, and if that wasn't a clear invitation for Tony to take the rest of his clothes off then Tony didn't know what was.   
  
"It's still a very nice view," Bruce said, his gaze never leaving Tony's body.   
  
"So are you." Tony hooked a finger into one of Bruce's belt loops and pulled him closer. He thought about telling Bruce to strip but taking Bruce's clothes off himself was both faster and more fun. Once there was absolutely nothing in his way, Tony began licking and kissing Bruce's shoulders and chest, moving down until he was on his knees and biting the tender skin along Bruce's hips then moving over so he could put his mouth _right_ on -   
  
A hand in hishair pushed Tony back. "I told you that was off the table."   
  
"We are _so_ testing that," Tony said. "I refuse to live in a world where you can't have blowjobs. It's cruel."   
  
Bruce snickered. "It's nice to know Iron Man stands for something."   
  
"Oh yeah. Truth, justice, and amazing head for everyone." Tony grabbed Bruce's hand and yanked him down onto the carpet. Bruce gave an admittedly undignified _oof_ when he landed, but the carpet cushioned most of the fall and Tony kissed away whatever unpleasantness might have been remaining. "So how do you want to do this? Wanna be on top, big guy?"   
  
"No, you, it's okay," Bruce said.   
  
Tony thought about checking if Bruce was sure. He wasn't an idiot. He knew a guy who'd spent years on the run so he didn't end up an army lab experiment might not be comfortable with being trapped in any position. That was why Tony had stayed on top last time, even with Bruce inside of him. If Bruce freaked out it would've been a matter of seconds to shove Tony off of his body. Anything else would've involved maneuvering to get free. Tony on top, balls-deep inside of Bruce, would be harder for Bruce to get out of.   
  
Tony's thoughts were either easy to read on his face or Bruce was really good at guessing. Because Bruce reached up to brush his thumbs along Tony's cheeks as he said, "You might want to remember that I came in here to suggest you have the key to my cage. You being on top is pretty easy in comparison."   
  
"Well if you're going to put it _that_ way," Tony said, pretending to be annoyed. But he bent down and kissed Bruce as soon as he said it. Hulk liked Tin Man. Bruce trusted him. That was pretty awesome.   
  
"Not that I have a lot of experience in this area," Bruce admitted, in the few moments that their lips came apart. "We're talking clumsy gropes back in high school. I've already gone further with you than any guy I've ever been with."   
  
A better man would have probably not have had a pleasant, possessive thrill go through him at hearing that he'd be the first to show Bruce how good getting fucked could feel. Tony had _long_ ago given up any claims on being the better man.  
  
"We've got options," Tony said. "There's the classic doggy style. There's side by side. There's also face to face but that does require a bit of bending on your part - "  
  
"I do yoga."   
  
"Okay you need to _lead_ with that information," Tony told him. He sat up enough to open up one of the hidden drawers in a side table and pull out condoms and lube.   
  
Bruce watched him with amusement. "Only you."   
  
"Sorry, is my foresight somehow _not_ helping your evening?" Tony replied. He laid back down beside Bruce, putting the lube and condoms beside them on the carpet. Tony ran his hand down Bruce's chest, encouraging him to lie back. "Relax, gorgeous. Let me do all the work."   
  
"What if what I find relaxing is being able to touch you?" Bruce asked.   
  
"Touching me you can do anywhere, anytime." Tony made sure Bruce was looking at him before he swiped his tongue over the palm of his hand. He then wrapped his hand around Bruce's erection and gave him a slow pull. "Assuming you can concentrate enough to remember how."   
  
Bruce gave a soft groan of appreciation. But he was thinking enough to be able to reach out to Tony and pull him into another kiss. His hands roamed over Tony's chest, mostly caressing, but occasionally - hesitantly - trying to pinch a nipple or run a light fingernail around the arc reactor. Tony hummed into Bruce's mouth and moved his hand faster, wanting to make sure Bruce knew how good he was making Tony feel.   
  
When Bruce felt like he couldn't get any harder without getting to some kind of point of no return, Tony slowed his pace and then let Bruce go. Bruce made what was quite frankly the most _adorable_ sound of disappointment. Tony responded to that by sucking on Bruce's tongue in a way that wasn't so much suggestive as outright stating the sort of things Tony could do if he had other parts of Bruce's body in his mouth, and that settled Bruce down a bit.   
  
Tony moved his hand to Bruce's thigh. He massaged the muscles there, then guided Bruce to draw his leg up. Not all the way, just enough that Tony had better access to lower his hand more and give the barest, lightest touch of his fingertip near Bruce's hole.   
  
Bruce gasped, surprised, like he didn't even know that sort of touch could be pleasant. Which made Tony want to find every single one of Bruce's former partners and give them a long lecture, with diagrams, on the topic of what a few fingers in the ass could do to a guy under the right circumstances and did they ignore the clit on a woman too while they were at it? But then Tony remembered that what this really meant was that Bruce's former partners had blown their chance with Bruce when they'd had him so, yanno, screw them and the extremely boring horses they'd rode in on.   
  
Tony lubed up his fingers well beyond what was strictly necessary to make sure there wasn't even a shadow of a doubt of Bruce feeling anything but pleasure. He then kissed Bruce, sliding his tongue into Bruce's mouth this time and letting that set up a nice, lazy pace until Bruce was warm and relaxed underneath him and Tony could slowly, gently slide a finger forward without Bruce tensing up underneath him.   
  
"Oh. Um - " Bruce said. Tony could see Bruce taking it all in, trying to puzzle out the reactions and slot it in with what he knew about both biology in general and his own personal slant on it. Which was _far_ too much thinking and clearly had to be taken care of by Tony sliding his finger in even further, just _so_ , and watching Bruce's face light up as the sparks of pleasure went through him.   
  
"Better," Tony said. He wanted Bruce to know that this was all good. He could let go and let Tony make him feel nothing but wonderful and it would all be okay. Tony pulled his finger back _just_ to the tip, then slowly slid it back in. Bruce's breath hitched. He shifted position to give Tony a better angle for getting into him. Tony rewarded him by biting and sucking along his neck. " _Much_ better."   
  
They stayed there, Tony slowly pumping his fingers in and out of Bruce, gradually adding another finger, then another, never once increasing his tempo until Bruce was digging his hands into the thick fibers of the carpet, every muscle shaking with the need for some kind of climax, and whispering, "Please, Tony. Jesus, _please_."   
  
At which point Tony waited _just_ a little longer, both because he was a bastard and because he knew the delay would only make Bruce's orgasm feel that much better, then he pulled his hand out and took care of the condom and drew Bruce's legs up so he could slide himself into Bruce's warm, relaxed, damn near _purring_ body in a single smooth motion.   
  
Which was just great - _God_ \- perfect. Bruce was a _furnace_ around him and so damned _tight_ and this - this was definitely happening again. A lot. Even if Bruce got it into his head again to leave. Tony would just chase him down to whatever hellhole Bruce ran off to and grab him and remind him, vehemently, that he _needed_ to let Tony fuck him because if not the world would end. Or something. It had to be bad to leave a superhero gagging for it, right?   
  
Tony pulled his hips back and slid in again. He looked down at Bruce and resolved to send however many millions of dollars were needed to properly thank all of Bruce's yoga teachers for making it easier for them to take this position on the first try and letting Tony watch the reactions on Bruce's face as each inch of Tony's cock made itself at home. He wanted to see Bruce lose it. He wanted to watch Bruce come apart, so lost in his own pleasure that all that fear, all that anger, was a billion light years away if not _further_.   
  
Bruce looked up at him, his eyes dark and his face completely unguarded. Vulnerable. Wanting. "Tony, please?"   
  
Tony's willpower dissolved. He slammed himself into Bruce, earning himself a groan from Bruce that made it clear, no doubt, that Tony had given Bruce _exactly_ what he'd been aching for. Tony increased his pace, going harder, faster, properly fucking Bruce right into the floor and Bruce was gasping, clawing at the carpet for some kind of purchase, doing what he could to meet Tony's thrusts until Tony angled himself just right, and reached to give Bruce just enough friction, and then Bruce was _gone_ , shouting into his climax as he shuddered and came under Tony. And normally Tony would've needed a bit more to get himself over the edge but Bruce looked so damned _wonderful_ that Tony only needed a few more thrusts to bring himself on home.   
  
Finally, when their breathing approached something close to normal, they detangled themselves. They lay there on the carpet, both of them sticky and sweat covered and, at least in Tony's case, every molecule in their body thrumming like a violin string that had just played the perfect note.   
  
"So," Bruce said, after who knew how long had passed. "When do we talk about _your_ issues?"   
  
Tony gave a bark of laughter at the unexpected question. "Banner, there isn't time enough to talk about my issues."   
  
"I dunno." Bruce rolled over to prop his head up on one arm. He reached out with his other hand to rest it on Tony's chest, just next to the arc reactor. "Apparently I've got plenty of time, now that I'm staying."   
  
"Huh. Guess so," Tony said. He covered Bruce's hand with his own and enjoyed how solid it felt.


End file.
